The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
by BrodyMichael
Summary: The 4 men's brisk walk turned into a sprint as they rounded the corner. The underpass was open; it wasn't supposed to be. That was where they had left the truck. "What the hell! Where could it have gone?" T-Dog cursed. Glenn noticed a form twist on the pavement near the absent truck. "Watch out. It's a walker!" yelled Glenn before the others could stipulate over the disappearance.
1. Concussion

**The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. I do not own any thing from AMC, only my OC.**

Groaning, I rolled over. It hurt, one of the worst pains I ever felt. There was a shout that wracked my brain, making me squint. Looking in the direction of the sound, I saw four blurry, moving figures. As they came closer, my vision returned to normalcy and I was aware of the danger. Automatically, I reached behind my back, my fingers gripped an arrow but I didn't have time to untangle my bow from my twisted position. I sat up quickly with a hiss, ready to improvise with my arrow, just as men- a cop, an African American, an Asian, and a country boy- formed a circle around me.

"That ain't a walker. It's just a girl."

I squinted to the man on my left. He had a crossbow aimed at my head.

"Were you bit?" the cop directly in front of me asked, his badge shiny in the light, blinding me.

"What? I don't think so?" I shook my head. Bad idea. I dropped the arrow, putting my hands up to try to block the pain in my forehead. My hands became wet. I pulled them away in horror; they were dripping in blood. I looked up, understanding all the men's worried looks. "No. I wasn't bitten. This was caused by the living."

The group stared at the man with the crossbow. "You think it was Merle?" the Asian kid asked.

He only scowled.

"Who did this to you?" the cop asked me.

I frowned for a long while. I tried to remember. But no distinct features or descriptions would appear. "I'm sorry. I only remember that it was a male figure. I think I have a concussion." I started to stand up. Dizziness overtook me and I would have crashed back down if it wasn't for the black man catching me. "Um, thanks." I smiled weakly. "Whoever it was, I'm going to kill him if I ever remember." anger finding its way through the confusion. The country boy glared at me a moment and then laughed, "If it was my brother, you'd never stand a chance. You're lucky he didn't kill you already."

"We should get back to the camp. Merle could have revenge as his motive." the cop said.

"What should we do with her?" The black man asked who was still holding onto my shoulder to keep me steady. "We can't leave her here like this."

The country boy growled," and why not? That's what you did with Merle." the black man quieted, a look of sorrow and regret settled on his face.

As the strange group argued hastily, I gently took off the hand that was holding me and bent down to the ground in search of my belongings, a striking fear that they were taken by my attacker. But no, there on top of a concrete barrier sat my dufflebag and spare tube of arrows. I started toward it, a little shaky at first. As soon as I reached my bag, I pulled out a ripped up shirt and cleaned up the still oozing blood from my head wound and wrapping it in a poor bandage.

The bickering suddenly ceased. I turned around, curious at their decision to keep me or leave me. I didn't know what I should do either. I felt lost and I needed a safe place to heal. My head throbbed and everything I did made it hurt. It must be a severe concussion... But there was something important I was doing before I got hurt. I only wish I could remember.

The cop came forward. His expression kind yet assertive as he said, "You can come with us back to camp. We'll get you fixed up better and you can be on your way. But we have to hurry, get there before dark. You think you can keep up?"

I took a deep breath, monitoring how much strength I had. Looking at the others helped me with my decision. Two of them looked like they didn't consider me a problem. But the country boy definitely thought of me as a burden. I smiled. I'll prove him wrong. I shouldered my duffle bag and adjusted the straps for my bow and arrows. "Well, we better be off then."

The walk was more difficult than I thought. After an hour I tried to hide my huffing and puffing, taking long breaths to slow my breathing and fluttering heart rate. "I'm seriously going to kill him." I muttered through the pain. Glenn, who told me his name as the walk began, chuckled beside me. He had offered to keep an eye on me and carry my bag; an offer I declined at first, but glad now that he did. "I'd like to see that. Everyone at camp would."

While we hiked, I examined the men who took me in; a thought came over me that this happened already before, like dejavu but not as strong. I shouldn't have been so stupid and to just trust them to be taking me to safety. They seemed nice enough but that doesn't account for anything. This hellish world changed everyone, living and the dead, there weren't too many good left, families and friends turn on each other, and the biters are always following. I looked at the backs of the mens' distancing forms, their pace faster than mine. Rick, Daryl, T-Dog. Were they good people? And Glenn, who was the most open with me, informing me on their group. Was he good? Is it only a pretense? I shook my head; deep thinking didn't sit well with my injury.

About ten minutes later and the sky turned dark violet. The night had come quicker than I realized. But I sighed with relief; the pain didn't trigger as much without the brightness of the sun sneaking into my eyes.

However the sigh was ended with a scream. Not from me but from beyond the thicket of trees we entered. No one in the group hesitated. They dashed straight toward the shouting and shots being fired. I didn't want to get left behind and got caught up in their sprint. Soon adrenaline flowed through my veins and the pain momentarily dispersed. I reached a clearing at the top of a hill; the last one to do so and it was a horrible sight. I tried not to think as I saw the deadly beings tearing at human flesh. I unlocked the clasp on my compound bow and let loose several arrows into the nearest biters. Their gurgles and moans silenced immediately with the head shots. I glanced around through the dim world. It seemed that it was over. Many of the living were weeping, huddled into small groups.

I sucked in a breath. It came fast; an overpowering sensation of dread, fear, hope, love, and memory. I fell to the ground, unable to move or breathe and what little light there was in the clearing blackened as my eyes went dim.

**Well, I think this turned out pretty good so far. I really hope I can get this story done, along with my other stories. It's going to be tough, but with many reviews and followers, I'll have more pressure to get these out. What memories did she lose and will she gain all of it back?**


	2. Dead Walker Phil

**Thanks to those who were brave enough to follow on the very first chapter and also those who reviewed. It's all appreciated.**

**I do not own the brilliant Walking Dead. **

My family and friends sat around me, trying to rouse me. I was lying in my bed. I had only been asleep several hours after staying up 58 hours straight; a feat I only took on once before in college. I sat up groggily. "What's with all this commotion? Cant it wait a few more hours?"

"We have to go!" my sister said urgently, shoving me out of bed. "Why on heavenly earth-!"

"There is no more heaven. There never will be." This voice caught me off guard. "Adam? What are you doing in my house, in my _bedroom_?" He ignored my shouts and started going through my drawers, jamming all my articles of clothing into a navy-blue duffle bag, including a handful of my delicates. By this time I knew something terribly wrong had happened while I was away.

"Where is Alice!?" Hysteria was raising with the others hectic and erratic movements.

"Where is Alice!?" My eyes shot open. I had to blink rapidly to the drastic change. Where was I? What happened to my room and... Alice? I stared straight ahead 'till things became clear again and I was aware that I was outside, on the ground, slumped against a tree. My head still pounded but it was more bearable. I leaned forward and clutched my knees.

Soft voices were talking up ahead on the left. I looked around. Bodies still littered the clearing, though a pile was forming. I turned back to the voices. Some of the men I met earlier were there along with many more new faces. One of which, a women with long dark hair and piercing eyes, noticed my gaze. She nodded slightly and waved her hand in a small motion, a gesture I took hesitatingly to come. Her movement of course alerted all the others and they turned toward me, watching me, judging me, as I stepped silently to them.

Immediately, I was bombarded with questions from the unfamiliar faces. I couldn't comprehend many of them before Rick made the group shut up. I gave him a grateful nod. I looked at everyone's face, grimy, distraught, and exhausted, but not altogether hateful or distrustful.

"Um. My name is Aubrietta Stone and I was wondering if I could stay with your group just until my head recovers." My words came out quicker, knowing that their questions and protests were on their tongues. "I won't be a burden. Well, maybe at first. I'm kinda useless right now." I reached up to my forehead, a little surprised when I felt clean bandages. "But I can hunt, I know some plants, and..." I looked around desperately. "And I can teach the kids, if we are still concerned with education. I was a teacher." I said smiling kindly over at the boy under the arms of the woman who invited me over.

"How long do you plan on staying with us? Are you going to leave right after your head is healed?" a man curtly asked with curling black hair. He looked opposed to newcomers with his protective stance inside the group circle.

"Shane, no one is-" Rick was about to say but I cut him off.

"No, it's ok. I'll leave if no one wants me around. I don't want to cause trouble. It's just... I don't know what happened to me or where I should go." I held my head. "All I can remember is that I had a group of my own. I just don't remember." My last sentence came out as a mumble as I thought of my memory-dream. I didn't want to meet their quizzical stares anymore. It all made my head dizzy. As soon as I stepped away, the few in the group continued their discussions about me and most likely their next move because of the now unsafe camp.

I was going to walk around the camp but a women crouched on the dirt floor caught my eye. She was hunched over something. I crept slowly toward her but stopped as soon as I recognized the shape. It was a young girl, a teenager. Her body lay still as a statue wrought by angels. I held in a laugh at the comparison. Adam was right; there is no heaven or angels, only our instinct to live. In this time, I sat down crossed legged and watched the woman hovering over the body, unaware of anything else in this world. She too was silent and still except for the heaves of her sorrow. Her blond hair was wavy; most of it came out of her pony tail and now covered her crying face.

I felt extremely depressed watching her but I couldn't _not_ watch. Even though her loved one was gone now, it still presented a dangerous problem. I gripped my ever-present bow tighter in my lap. I'm sure the others were keeping watch too and they were watching me.

"Hey. How are ya feeling?"

Glenn asked closing my window I was looking through. I sighed and looked him in the eyes. "Just brilliant, thanks for asking." I answered glumly. I said more seriously, "You guys do know that the girl over there is going to come back, right? You should-"

Glenn shook his head. "We know. But we can't do anything. Andrea won't let us near her sister. Rick and Dale have tried," he whispered with a quick glance behind him. "Come on. I'll introduce you to everyone then get you something to eat." He tugged at my arm, pulling me to my feet.

It wasn't a pleasant meeting in most cases for the majority of the group was busy gathering supplies and bodies of their friends and Biters. It was hard to keep the names straight with all that was going on, with my concussion and the hustle bustle of camp. But I did manage to meet everyone one in the group and memorize all the names. Glenn, T-Dog, Daryl, and Rick. Then there was Shane, Dale, Jim, Morales and his family, and Jacqui; it would take a few days to put names to faces though. The last people I met were the kindest to me, partly because they didn't have the gross business at the forefront of their tasks. It was Carol and her daughter, Sophia, and the woman and kid from earlier. They introduced themselves as Lori and Carl.

"How are your bandages? We cleaned your old ones so we can switch them anytime." Lori asked.

I tried to guess how much time had passed with these on. I woke in the early morning. It had to be at least noon by now. The sun shone bright making me have to keep my eyes shielded. "I should change them soon. It feels like the bleeding stopped at least."

Glenn smiled, "That sounds encouraging. I should go and see if anyone needs help now. Shout if you need me." And with that, he turned away from the tents that we were sitting by and up the slight slope were the stack of bodies were being hauled. I watched him go and noticed Daryl there too. He was carrying an axe around. Carol saw too and guessed what he was doing. She sprang up suddenly, with our surprise, and approached Daryl in the distance.

Just then, my stomach growled louder than I thought possible and I wrapped my hands over it to try to muffle it. Carl smiled and ran to his tent. He returned and held out his hand to me, a snack sized Snickers bar tempted me.

"Oh! Thank you, but I can't take that from you. You deserve all the sweets left in this world, not me."

"Well, if you won't take it then you can have my portion of soup." He scooted a bowl away from a burned out fire, only its embers still glowed. "It's okay, I'm not hungry anymore." he said, knowing I felt wrong for taking a little boys food. I looked up to his mother for her approval. She nodded and smiled down at her son.

I sat with them for a little while longer. She told me of their troubles and how Rick found them, while the kids talked quietly on the other side of the fire pit. It felt good to be talking with someone about their misfortunes instead of my own, even with the excuse of my memory loss wiping out, I'm guessing, the worst of it.

There was a gunshot over by the RV.

Lori immediately ran to it, shouting for me to watch the kids. I held Carl back as he made to follow.

"Don't worry. She'll be fine." I said, knowing it was the truth. The younger sister must have risen. We watched from afar as the camp cleared a way for Andrea, caring her sister's body to a waiting truck bed.

Rick, Lori, and Carol came over to us. "Some of us are going up the hill. We are going to bury our dead. You're welcome to come." Rick said heavily. I felt it extremely awkward and unnecessary so I declined.

"We understand. It shouldn't take longer than an hour or two. You can rest in that time." Lori suggested. I only nodded, dreading when they did come back; then more decisions would have to be made.

I laid my head against arms, listening to the truck ramble up the hill until the campers following tread also disappeared. It's hard to believe but it was just as quiet as it was with everyone there. I raised my head again, examining the deserted camp. Well, it wasn't all deserted. I got up and walked to the putrid bodies of Biters.

"What are you going to do with them?" I asked, breathing through my mouth. The smell of decay was strong. It's hard to imagine that Daryl could stand it for so long.

"Burn 'em. What d'ya think we do?" he said irritably. "Sorry. I didn't know if they'd get left here or what. I think that's what we did most of the time." I felt like my presence was annoying him but for some reason I didn't want to be alone or to rest. I wanted something to do and dealing with the Biters was something that wasn't strenuous physically or mentally (if I numbed my thoughts about their living pasts).

"Can I help?" I asked quietly.

"No," he said not looking at me as he stabbed a knife into one's brain.

"Why not? I can..." As he moved onto the next one, my hand shot out, pushing Daryl's moving hand. Instead of the head, the knife hit another's left leg.

"What the fuck was that for?" he shouted, ripping the knife out.

"I know him." The Biter had shaved brown hair, a little bigger in the tummy, and a button down green shirt with an eagle on it. The same shirt I saw him last in. "It's Phil. He helped my group and me." I sighed, "They must have done this as his punishment."

"What are you talkin' about? I thought you had memory loss?" An angry Daryl asked.

I laughed starkly, "I do. But I didn't lose all my memories. Most of it is hazy, others are totally blocked. Phil just helped clear away some of the hazy parts."

He grunted and shook his head.

I decided to tell him what seeing Phil helped me recover -or the simple and sweet version. "My group ran into another group. They weren't friendly. And what's worse, I knew their leader. He was going to kill all of us." I paused, editing out a part that I didn't think he should know even if he was going to act like he wasn't listening, "But Phil knocked him out when we were alone and we cut my group loose."

"Wait. Why were you alone?" he asked. I was surprised, both because he asked and because he didn't make the connection.

I raised my eyebrow. "Just because the world ended doesn't mean men's dirty, greedy, conceded minds and bodies did too," I said harshly.

Daryl looked down before I could read anything from him, but his stabbing quickened and the last of the Biters were confirmed 100% dead. Just as quickly, Daryl dumped kerosene soaked kindle on top and threw a match down. I skipped back as every one of them caught fire, the sight of the flames burning my eyes and sending mini spasms through my head. Suddenly, the need for some support sounded like a good idea. I went over to the RV and sat lightly on the bumper.

A grunt sounded in front of me and I looked up to see Daryl holding out some arrows. "Here. They ain't mine."

I took them from him and examined the tips, long and narrow, and cracking with dried blood. "Thanks." But he was already too far away to hear me.

"I can't wait until this heals. Then I'll really be able to help." I said to myself.

**Yayayayay! This took a long time to write, but I'm glad I got it all done in one day. If only I had that much time for everything. So, what do you think? Did I do good with Aubrietta's first convo alone with Daryl? She seems to be a talker when she's nervous. But I guess isn't everyone? I'll you guys do the reviewing and guessing. Please review. I live off of them. Jk, but they are very nice to read.**


	3. Which Car Do I Choose?

**Disclaimer: I do not own AMC's Walking Dead. **

When they arrived back at camp, I was still leaning against the RV, staring at the smoldering pile. _How did this world become this way? _I wanted to shout it out, hoping that I'd get an answer worth my pain.

"We are going to move camp."

I glanced sideways, a little startled, at Lori. "Where are you guys going to go?"

"Well that's still being discussed. Rick wants to go to the CDC to find out if there's a cure, but Shane thinks we should continue to Fort Benning."

She looked at me. "And what's with this 'you' stuff, you're coming with us. You aren't healed yet." She started to walk away and I followed.

I smiled, "Just checking. I think we should see what the CDC has. I know that they were working nonstop with the outbreak."

"How do you know that?" It was Rick who asked that, wrapping his arms around his wife.

"Acquaintances. I wasn't very close to them, but my ex was," I said with a shrug of my shoulders. The mention of the CDC triggered a small memory from the beginning of the apocalypse.

"We should tell Shane that. Maybe it would convince him." Rick suggested. "I'll get everyone together and we'll make a decision. We need to move out soon."

Most of the survivors started to come together, standing to the side of the truck. Shane and Rick stood side-by-side; though their opposing views kept them from being the best friends they were before. They reminded me of the positive and negative effects of magnetism as I watched from between Dale and Lori. This was going to be a difficult decision for the group. I was just glad that their previous discussion over me was completed and they agreed to help me. Glenn came up behind me and snuck in the tight space with Dale and me.

"Nice of you to join us," I said as I tried to make more room by taking a small step back from the tight circle being formed. Then I noticed Morales and T-Dog settle by the truck's hood. Last to join was Daryl, jumping into the bed and sitting in its ledge. It surprised me that Carol wasn't in on this, but she must have been taking care of the kids.

While waiting, everyone else was quiet— an uneasy quiet until Shane spoke. "Alright, everyone knows that it isn't safe here anymore. We need safety. Fort Benning is that safety. We-"

"But what if it isn't. It's miles away." Rick countered. "It could be like the city or like the hospital I woke up from."

"How do we that unless we check it?"

"The same could go for the CDC. They could have a cure."

"We don't need a cure. What we need is a haven."

I needed to speak up, to help Rick. His argument wasn't as strong as his intent. "The CDC can be a haven. It has its own defenses along with the comfort of shelter. Beds, food, showers, and information."

The group turned toward me, even Daryl lifted his head at the last sentence mentioned. Shane glared at me, almost making me regret my comment. But there was an interruption in camp that brought this meeting to a temporary close. Jacqui was yelling something about Jim.

Jim had been bit. It was unfortunately true. I could see as I walked closer and peeked over Lori's shoulder. They had lifted his muddied shirt to show shallow marks on his lower ribs, still bleeding out.

"What do we do?" asked Glenn. Everyone knew what should be done but it was Daryl who voiced it.

"Kill him. Get rid of him before he turns into one of those bastards."

I shook my head. It shouldn't come to this. Suddenly I thought of a different option. "What about the CDC?" I looked first to Rick and then to Shane. "Now we need a cure."

Shane began to protest. He was still set on Fort Benning and Jim panicked with the intensity of their conflict. "It's not my blood. I'm fine. I'm fine," he kept saying.

Rick tried to calm him down. "It's alright. Nothing's going to happen to you. We'll keep you in a safe place." Rick led him to Dale and Dale in turn brought him into the RV. "We have to go to the CDC now," Rick said loud enough for the whole camp to hear.

"That's got to be 100 miles away. What happens if we don't make it in time? I can't risk him infecting others. Lori and Carl," Shane said, adding their names for emphasis. There was a quick glance between Lori and Shane but I didn't read much into it.

Glenn chimed in, "We have to try!"

With a frustrated grunt, Shane gave in, though his manner still argued his position as leader with his hands on his hips, hands curled into fists. "Fine. But we better move quick before night falls."

It didn't take much time. Almost all had their belongings were ready to go before the burial. All of the vehicles were loaded up. There were five total lined up on the trail: the RV, a Jeep, the truck, a suburban, and a sedan. I shouldered my duffle bag and clung to my bow. I had no idea which one I was going to ride in. So I waited, feeling slightly awkward, but more tired. I needed to sleep off my concussion.

Morales and his family were kind people. They had the sedan. Maybe they wouldn't mind my tagging along. I headed over to them but Morales was speaking to Rick and Lori. I overheard their conversation and I sighed. They had decided to leave the group in order to search for family farther south. A pang of mixed emotions landed over me; I should be going too. My family was out there. I din't know if they were running away or searching for me.

"Well there goes my ride," I sighed to myself.

"You can ride with me in my Jeep. There's room," said Shane, leaning against his Jeep a car over.

_Why would he invite me? I never got the feeling that we were on friendly terms. What with Rick taking me in and me siding with the CDC route,_ I thought. But I took the offer, not knowing if I'd get it from anyone else and still have plenty of leg room.

"Look, if you were separated from Lori and Carl, would you feel like talking about rainbows and butterflies?" I sighed after twenty minutes of constant questions from Shane and my curt replies, in which time he found out almost all of my likes and dislikes; the silly stuff that didn't matter in this dangerous world.

"I don't see why small talk is necessary, especially when I know we don't exactly like each other." I held up a hand to prevent him commenting, "I said I'd leave when I'm healed. That was the deal and I plan to up hold it. I don't want to stay any longer than I have to; I can't stay. She's waiting for me."

I whispered, "I can't get attached to another group. I have strong ties with them." I stared straight at him and said confidently, "Ties that won't ever break."

I turned to look out the open window to hide the grimace on my face. Through this conversation my headache increased, probably because of the intense subject I decided to declare to Shane. But it worked, for a little while anyways.

"Why did you mention Lori and Carl?" he asked. I didn't look directly at him, knowing he was staring, though I noticed his white knuckles on the steering wheel.

"I don't know. You must care for them a lot. They were your main concern back at camp when we had to decide where to go." I didn't mention the multiple times where I saw him glance at them and the tension-just-under-the-surface I felt off him when Rick was anywhere near. I took a chance and looked sideways at him. He wasn't looking at me anymore but he nodded, satisfied with my answer.

I suddenly wanted to get out. It was getting too weird and all this talk and thinking made me restless and frustrated. I wanted so badly for my memory back. I needed it to figure out my best chances of where my family could be. I should have stayed behind. I was moving farther away from where I was found. The only reason I came was because there was a small chance that the scientists at the CDC may have seen them. That was what my family and I first agreed upon when this all happened: to see what the CDC had to offer.

Well, two minutes later I got my wish; the first part anyways.

Glenn came over a radio, "Can we hold up for a moment? The RV's not doing so well." We heard Rick o.k. the stop and within seconds the train of vehicles ceased to move. Something told me that Glenn's meaning of RV really stood for Jim. I got out of the Jeep but stayed close by, ignoring the gathering near the suburban Rick was driving. I had to stay out of their affairs if I was going to focus on healing faster.

However, I couldn't help wondering absentmindedly how Jim was doing and found my feet taking me near the RV before I realized it. I was a yard away from the minimally torn screen door. I didn't get a chance to enter even if I planned on it; it opened and Rick stepped out supporting a drastically sick looking man. The infection was working away at Jim fast. Soon he would die. He wouldn't make it to the CDC. I moved out of the way as they passed. The others converged, following the two up the hilly woods beside the highway. I followed too.

Jim was willing to stay behind, to not be a burden on the group. It was a farewell ceremony, one that I didn't regret skipping. Before more said their goodbyes, I slipped silently down the hill back to the Jeep. I opened the door wide about to jump inside and wait when I spotted Daryl's truck. He was the only one in the truck. That would leave plenty of room for one more body and duffle bag, wouldn't it? And I didn't have to worry about striking up a conversation with his gruff and silent personality.

I grabbed my things and made off to his truck as the group emerged one by one from the woods and sulked to their vehicles. I had just closed Daryl's passenger door when he appeared by the window.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? This is my ride. You should get the hell back to whatever car you were in before," he scowled.

I huffed, angry at myself for thinking that Daryl would allow me in. I pouted like a child, "But I don't want to ride anymore with Shane. He won't leave me alone."

And to my surprise, a grim smile appeared on Daryl's face. He walked around the truck and stepped into the driver's side.

"Thanks...again." I said. "I just need to recover." I slouched down into the worn seat with my bow across my lap. As the journey continued with Daryl pulling off the side of the road, I pulled my sea blue hood over my head to my eyes and drifted away in light dreams for the first time since I was found.

**Next stop, the CDC. Thanks to all the followers and the favs, but especially the reviews. **


	4. Wine or No Wine, That is the Question

**Discalmer: I don't own AMC's The Walking Dead.**

**Ch. 4—Wine or No Wine, That is the Question**

"Hey, wake the hell up already." Something shoved my left shoulder and I instantly sat forward, raising my bow in that direction. But it was only Daryl.

"Hey there Robin Hood, how are you going to kill me without the other half?" he laughed. I pulled down my hood and reached for an arrow but I didn't knock it. Instead I smacked it on Daryl's arm like a flyswatter.

"What the fuck was that for?"

"You didn't have to shove so hard." I looked out the window. "There's the CDC."

"Thanks for pointin' that out; that's why I woke your sleepy ass up." Daryl said rolling his eyes, but I didn't comprehend him. I was too busy controlling my emotions, trying not to get my hopes up; everyone could be dead, my friends and family never making it, and no cure. We pulled to a stop behind the RV after running into a cement roadblock. Immediately, I swung open his truck door and slid out, throwing my duffle bag over my shoulder and making sure my bow was ready for the Biters we were sure to meet. The group congregated next to the block for Rick's instructions. All eyes scanned the new surroundings. The building was tall and sleek. It would have seemed untouched if not for the bodies and military machines that littered the green grass and sidewalks around it.

Rick and Shane moved around the small blockade and the group followed. The women and children were kept in the middle with T-Dog and Daryl covering the sides and Dale had the rear of the group. I jogged closer to the front, scanning the bodies everyone was so wary of. With every step closer to the CDC, my heart grew heavy. All of them were dead, both Biters and those who hadn't changed. They were in a war for the CDC and there were no survivors- at least not on the outside.

We had reached the huge building, but its entrance was shut. Where there were normally glass sliding doors, metal shutters were forced down. We were all still for a moment. Rick looked at all of us and a look took over his face. He spun around, and talked to the closed door asking for entrance. He wanted again. But there wasn't an answer.

"Come on. We tried but no one's here. We should get out before night. We can head to Fort Benning," Shane reached out to him. Rick pulled away from him and swung out at the metal in frustration. His action and the sound startled me. The clang seemed to resonate throughout the area dispersing in the open behind us. If there were any Biters near, they would have heard it for sure.

The group looked worried as Shane tried to convince Rick that the CDC was a lost cause. "But the camera! It moved. Someone's inside!" Their voices rose in argument and then that's when Daryl shouted, "Now you've done it!"

He raised his bow behind the group and a bolt flew into a Biter's head yards away. But he wasn't alone. The noise brought a small herd of them closer. They stumbled over the fallen dead, some joining as the men began shooting their guns in hopes of gaining some time to get out of there.

I shot a nasty one coming from the opposite side. As grotesque as it looked, it went down easy. I watched it fall to the ground beside another dead Biter. Something next to it caught my eye, somthing I recognized; it was a neon purple cloth twisted around a corpse's arm. Without thinking, I ran out from the building's overhang we stood under to the cloth. I was afraid of what I would find.

I held in a breath as I drew near. It was the cotton bandana my sister wore. Ignoring the shouts from the group, I bent down to remove it from the arm. Thankfully, it wasn't her that it was attached to, but that meant my family had been in danger and I had no time to search every body to see if they were here. My only hope was that they were safe in the CDC already.

I heard the moans before I had time to react. A Biter latched onto my leg, knocking me onto my back. I pulled and kicked while bringing my bow out in front of me. His ugly eyes glowed a viscous pale white before he fell on top of me.

I shoved him off to see not only that I didn't inflict the fatal blow (a bolt protruded from the back of its skull) and that Daryl stood above me.

"Tryin' to be Robin Hood again, huh?" He reached down to drag me up roughly by the arms.

"Actually, no I wasn't. I saw this." I held out the bandana as we ran back to the door, which was now open and everyone was shouting for us to hurry.

He grunted, "I don't think this is a great time to be addin' to your wardrobe."

It's a good thing he said that because I had dropped my duffle bag before running for the bandana; I would have completely forgot it.

We made it in. Before I could catch my breath, a man came down warily from a stairway, a rifle aimed at us. "Are any of you infected? Bit or scratched?" He asked intensely.

I looked down quickly at my bare legs in panic. The Biter outside had grabbed ahold of them. They were dirtied and bruised, but my legs were smooth of any cuts or scratches.

Rick spoke up after I gave him thumbs up. "We had one infected. He didn't make it here. Thank you for letting us in."

"You don't mind for blood tests then," he asked after a shrug from Rick's thank you. "You can get your things that you'll need through the front door. Once it closes, it won't open again."

The group followed him to the front. I tagged along behind them feeling light headed from the short run. Another benefit to the CDC: my head injury would heal faster.

Seeing as I brought all my things in already and being rejected in my offering to help the others with their belongings, I waited against a stainless steel wall and welcomed the coolness on my sweaty back. The man hadn't moved an inch after the group left. He looked ordinary, grey baggy t-shirt and sweatpants; he didn't give off the appearance of a medical scientist. I wondered who he was and if he knew Adam because I'd never seen him at gatherings before. He must have felt my staring for he turned away from me and the door to stand farther back next to an elevator. But I noticed anxiousness stretched over his features and a heavy stride as he moved away. Or maybe I was thinking too much into it. Shane, Dale, and Andrea came through the doors right after the man moved. Then followed the rest of the gang with luggage and Rick bringing in the rear. As soon as he crossed through the entrance, the doors closed automatically with a clear click as the bolts slid into place. "So, what do we call our savior?" I asked curiously after glancing at the quickly darkening sky through the thick windows. I tucked the bandana in my front pocket, waiting for an answer.

"I'm Dr. Edwin Jenner. If you'll follow me, please."

After squeezing into an elevator, probably close to breaking the weight limit, Jenner brought us into a good-sized room that resembled a cross between a doctor's room and a high school science lab. We leaned against the counters and the kids sat in the extra rolling chairs, spinning and turning with genuine smiles on their faces. Jenner had us sit in front of him one by one under the fluorescent lighting.

When it was my turn, I plopped down heavily. It had only been an hour since sitting in Daryl's truck, but I felt drained. The last food I had was back at the Quarry which was more than most of what the others had. They gave the last of the porridge mixture to me because I was hurt badly- My thoughts were interrupted by the sharp pain of the needle leaving my arm. I hadn't even noticed it going in. Instantly, my head felt like a bag of bricks and I shut my eyes to get rid of the unpleasant side effects.

"What's wrong?" Jenner asked not unkindly.

"Sorry. It's just my head." I pointed to the long scabbing cut on the right of my forehead. "Someone gave me a severe concussion and I haven't been in the best environment for it to heal."

Jenner wrapped my arm tight with sterilized white wrap. "I can give you some meds to help with the process." He jumped up and rummaged through a cabinet in the corner, piling bottles into his arm clenched to his stomach. Jenner handed them to me, giving brief instructions with each pill in a doctoral manner.

"Thanks." I wanted to ask him more about what happened here, where were all the scientists, why he said the doors won't open again-and what I wanted to ask the most- where my family and friends are. But he had already shooed me away and now Andrea was getting her blood drawn.

Well, I could have smiled the whole rest of the night. There were tables pushed together set up with plates and silverware in a cafeteria. And hot edible food was being served. My favorite out of the spoils was the pasta. The only downside was that the Alfredo sauce had a less appealing taste due to using powdered milk. But my stomach couldn't tell the difference as I stuffed my mouth. I looked around for something to wash it down with. At first all I saw was wine. "We got anything besides this?" I asked holding up a bottle to the happy people. "What's wrong with that?" T-Dog asked laughing. He sat across from me with Carol and Sophia on my right and Lori and her family on my left. The others sat covering the ends of the long crooked table.

I smiled. "I don't drink anymore."

"Well Aubrietta, we're celebrating. I think this is the time to break it," chimed in Dale. I tried to stay solemn amongst the ecstatic crew as I said, "I think I'll pass."

"Why?" Glenn spoke loudly from the other end. He had gladly taken a bottle for himself already.

I smiled sweetly, but looked down at my plate of food. "The last time I drank resulted in having my daughter. It was a crazy night." I sighed. Most of the other conversations quieted at the mention of something new about me. It looked like they wanted me to further explain, on what exactly I wasn't sure, so I said, "I just don't like drinking. Every time I do, something drastically changes in my life. I've only done it three times before. The first time I was 15 and with my best friend. He died of alcohol poisoning. The second, I did something really illegal; got thrown in jail for a bit. And the last you know."

"What'd you do?" Of course Rick, the cop, had to ask about that.

I answered sheepishly and shook my head. "After my grad party, my friends thought it'd be funny to prank our school principle. No one liked him. So I brought over my paints and turned his silver Audi into something more pleasing to the eye." Rick chuckled. "It wouldn't have been so bad if Miles wasn't such a pyro and lit it up like the fourth of July." That got the whole table laughing. "I admit I had fun until the consequences arose; it's not good for me."

Lori passed me a can of Cola, a knowing look in her eyes. "You miss her."

I only nodded, feeling like I had spoken enough already. I wasn't hungry anymore. I wanted to see them again, to know they were still alive. I missed my little girl with all my heart.

Suddenly Shane spoke up, addressing Jenner. "So do you have what we came for? Where is everyone that's fighting this disease besides us?"

Jenner, who was sitting by another table by himself, looked up from his daze. "We were working on it night and day. But it was difficult."

"What do you mean?" Jacqui asked.

Jenner stood up, motioning for us to follow him. We walked through the dim hallways to a large room with multiple desks and a huge screen in front. "VI, turn on the lights in the big room." A center circle of lights lit the room. Jenner didn't look at us as he said, "I don't have a cure. I'm the only one left. "

"What about VI?" Lori asked.

"Virtual Intelligence," I said. Adam's facility had one too.

Jenner tried to change the subject by saying, "You must be tired. I'll show you to lounge rooms. There you can relax and take showers." He warned the excited faces. "But don't use the hot water for too long." As we walked to the cafeteria to pick up our things, he went on about what was all in the rooms and what we should do to save power.

However, I didn't feel like resting just yet. I had to get my answers. When the group followed behind Jenner to the opposite hallway we came from, I went to the table and began stacking the plates and cups. I was about to bring them to the back counter.

"You don't have to do that." It was Jenner.

"It's ok. It feels normal. Like cleaning up after my own family, cept' twice as big," I said quietly.

He grabbed a cloth and wetted it from the sink. "How big was your family?"

"How big it is, you mean," I corrected him. He nodded. "At a time it was my husband, my daughter, sister, and me. But Adam and I wanted to split up." I looked up suddenly at him while drying the dishes. "Have you ever met Adam Stone?"

Jenner kept his eyes on the cloth. "Before the apocalypse, I heard of him. He was asked multiple times to join us, but he refused. It's a shame he stayed in his subject; he was a genius and we would probably have a cure by now."

I looked down in despair. He hadn't been here then.

"But he was even more incredible in person." Jenner said with a ghost of a smile.

I felt like the wind got knocked out of me. "When was he here? Who was with him? Where did they go? Why did-"

"Wait. I'll answer all your questions. You just need to calm down. It's not good for your head."

"My head is fine," I lied. I abandoned the dishes and pulled out the purple bandana, scraping of the dried-on dirt.

"They came two weeks ago. I was alone then too. It was easier to let them in than you." I was about to inquire what he meant about that but he didn't leave time to ask. "With him was a little girl, almost five years old, and she barely spoke the three days they were here. There were four others as well. I'm sorry but I only remember the names of two: Josephine and Conner."

I laid the bandana over my arm. "Was she with them? The woman who had this?"

Jenner nodded again. "Yes, she had it with her before she left. Where did you find it?"

"Just outside, in the midst of the dead. Did they get out safely?"

"I believe they did. Unfortunately, there were some Walkers roaming about as always."

"What did they do while they were here?"

"Rest and recover mostly. Dr. Stone was working on something though. I helped where I could with information about the disease, but it looked like he was building a device of some sort. All he told me was that it would change the world...again."

Jenner drained the sink and was walking away. I asked him something before he disappeared in his own sorrow.

"Was he successful?"

"I'm not sure. They were urgent to leave and continue searching for you." Jenner turned the corner.

I sighed long and deep. He was right. My head felt on fire and my eyes stung. I sat in my old seat for a few moments going over the things I learned, fighting off the pain. I wished I had all my memory back. Nothing else popped back in from our discussion and I wondered who the last person was that Jenner didn't know the name of. I swear when we started that my group was larger.

My eyes focused on what was left on the tables. There were only a couple of wine bottles, one not opened yet and one half gone. The latter, _Oregon Pinot Gris_, sounded good. A sip wouldn't hurt. It felt good too. I took another swallow. It was strong; already it began to numb the pain throughout my aching body and mind. I folded Briana's favorite bandana I got her from my trip to Brazil and headed to the lounge for a shower, not realizing the bottle still in my hand.

**Woot Woot! You got to know a little bit more about Aubrie's life. But the mysteries continue. And what bad luck she has with booze. Sad, just sad. Well, a daughter's not a bad thing though. Enjoy and thanks for all the reviews and favorites. **


	5. Silly Questions Before a Dangerous Time

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead. (Do I really need to keep adding this? It seems quite redundant after the first couple chapters. I mean, it's not like I'm suddenly going to get any ownership besides my OCs and the scenes with them in it.)**

**Ch. 5— Silly Questions Before a Dangerous Time**

I must have passed out. I sat up to find that I was on a couch; a blanket was tangled around me. I didn't remember going to sleep or when I did. But I must have taken a shower for my hair was damp and my skin felt new in the clean cutoff jeans and light green tank that I wore. I slid out of bed, feeling shaky. My foot hit something cold and an empty wine bottle rolled across the carpeted floor. I groaned. At least I took the half full one.

The room I was in was dim and sparse with cream walls. All that was in there were the couch, a dark varnished end table, and a small metal desk with a lamp. I found my duffle bag in the corner by the desk and rummaged through it.

"Oh, I'm an idiot," I said as the hours spent before I slept came back to me like a splash of ice water on my face.

I had walked into the arcade room after my shower. Shane had Lori pinned when I came in. All in all I think I helped the situation; I put some shame into Shane's devious ways. But it was embarrassing. As soon as I had put the pieces together on what was going on between them, I had started giggling, then laughing hysterically. I tipped over a few books and board games, all the time mumbling the song, _Shane and Lori, sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g_. When I fell over, I started crying like a maniac. That's when Shane stormed out if the room. I remember that Lori was also crying and now it seems somewhat cheesy, but she sat down by me until we both calmed down a bit, rubbing my hand in comfort. It was she who led me back to my room and put me to sleep like a child after a bad dream. Hopefully, I didn't disturb with too much of my despairing blubbering about the information I recently learned about my other group.

I sighed. I wondered if any of them were going to say anything. It made me nervous. No one needed to see or know what a buffoon I am. "At least I didn't go streaking or something," I said in the dim room, eyeing the stupid bottle.

Just then, my stomach growled and I figured I should get some food before popping the medications Jenner gave me. Surprisingly, my head only had a slight pain. I was expecting to be doubling over in the pain from drinking with a concussion, but it wasn't bad at all.

Out in the hallway, the lights glowed blue, giving an illusion of cave walls, which made me shiver. I made my way slowly to the cafeteria. Once there, I found that most of the others were already seated at the table. It was eggs for breakfast. They were hot, scrambled, and steamy, just the way I liked them. I tried to only look at my plate while I ate. I could feel gazes burn into all sides of my head; how much did these two tell?

"Is that really what your hair looks like?" T-Dog asked. The question was so unexpected that I laughed, close to snorting.

"I dyed it. Why? What's wrong with it?" I self-consciously stroked my hand through the now silky A-line cut. It had maroonish purple streaks and blue at the tips, which had to be fading by now.

"We thought it was colored with blood, guts, and dirt," said Daryl smirking.

"Ha, ha. Real funny." I crossed my arms. "I had a girl's night after a conference with some of the other art teachers in the district. We thought we'd give the cosmetology college students some experience." I smiled, remembering that night. It must have been at least two months ago. Loral was the girl who did my hair. She was pretty talented. I hoped she was safe somewhere. I could feel the frown on my face and the pressure in my eyes threatening to create more tears. So many had been killed because of the disease.

Before the gang could notice, Shane walked in, bringing a new topic to discuss. He filled a plate with eggs and sat down. As he turned his head down to the food, everyone at the table saw inflamed scratches along his cheek and neck.

"Ouch man! How'd you get those?" Glenn asked. It was the first time he had raised his head since I came in. The alcohol took its toll on him.

"Must have done it in my sleep," he grunted with another bite of eggs.

Rick said, "Never seen you do that before."

Shane shrugged with a quick glance at Lori and then to me. It sent a slight spasm through my body and the water I was about to swallow flew out of my mouth. I coughed and grabbed a napkin to clean it up.

"Sorry, went down the wrong pipe," I said as an excuse. Well, I'm definitely not on his good side anymore. But if my intrusion is what's going to keep him from hurting Lori and Rick, then I won't regret drinking that night.

Dr. Jenner came in then and went straight for the coffee. He only got a few gulps down before the group couldn't hold the ants in their pants anymore. I admit, I was curious to hear what he had to say on the zombie disease.

Dale asked, "I don't want to overload you with questions first thing, but we need to know everything that you discovered."

Jenner didn't turn to us when he said, "Very well." His voice was solemn.

We entered the big room again and Jenner spoke to VI. "VI, pull up Test Subject-19."

A large screen at the front of the room lit up with blue and the frontal view of a bust. It resembled a female in X-ray form. Jenner quickly changed it to a side view, showing in detail a functioning colorful brain.

"This was a volunteer, someone who was bitten and allowed the process to be recorded in hopes of finding a way to treat it."

All eyes were on the screen. I found myself barely breathing as he forwarded it to the time of the volunteer's death. The colors of the neurons and nerves faded out to be replaced by black dead cells. She was dead. Again Jenner forwarded the recording as he mentioned that the transformation of the disease was known to take any were from three minutes to eight hours. At that time frame, the brain stem lit up again, except it did only partially and the sparks were slow and unorganized. As the figure began to move its head, there was a tear through it, leaving a blinding hole and the limited lights distinguished.

"What the hell happened?" Daryl asked.

"Did you shoot her?" I asked Jenner softly. He nodded slightly. "And you showed the others this?"

"Yes." He answered knowing that by others, I meant my family.

Carol stepped up to the front computer desk. "What happened to the other scientists?"

"Well, when it got bad most went home to be with their families. And when it got worse, to put it simply, others 'opted out'."

While they were talking, I was looking around the room. It was a large room; however, the center area was the only one with lighting on. The corners were dark, but that made me notice the red lights in one corner. It was a sign.

It was a countdown.

I opened my mouth, about to ask what it was for, but Dale beat me to it.

"I'm sorry for changing the subject, but ever since we were here, that sign has been counting down. Now what is it timing?"

Jenner was calm when he said, "How much power is left. The building is on its last emergency fuel tank."

We all glanced at the time; it was just over one hour. Not much time at all.

Some of the men immediately searched for flash lights and headed to the generator room in the lower building after telling the rest of us to go back to the rooms and that everything was going to be ok.

"Yeah, right. When is anything ok anymore?" I said, a little peeved that Jenner didn't tell us about the limited power left. Although, I hadn't planned on staying long now that I knew my daughter was still alive out there.

I went to my room and sat on the couch. There wasn't much that I felt like doing. I had already ransacked the little things- hand and body towels, a couple of the soaps and shampoos, some hard candy, and a stack of clear plastic cups- things that wouldn't be missed and will be a pleasure in our travels. So I sat there, resting my head back at the top of the extra padded leather couch. I rested and listened to the hum from the cooling unit and it crossed my mind that an AC wasn't really necessary if we were under ground.

After five minutes passed, I just couldn't sit still. Worry and stress made my legs bounce up and down and I had started scratching my arms and neck with a nervous itch. We were running down on the time and I had a feeling that when it was finally out, things were going to be hectic. Shouldering my duffle bag and the small knapsack I found, I opened the door with my bow and quivers in hand.

Just as I was heading to the hallway, it became eerily quit. The AC unit had shut off.

**Ok. Chapter five. It's short, I know and I'm sorry for those who actually like it and get into it, but I just want to get something out there whenever I can. Now that college has started again, the chapters will have a longer wait period. Sorry. Now, I have drawn a quick pic of Aubrie and posted it on Deviantart. If you are a bit curious, here is a link: **

**As always, comments—anything at all—is very appreciated and looked forward to. Keep up those favs and follows!**


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